Faith in the Final Outcome

I love the work in which we are engaged. I have faith in it and in its final outcome. I believe in God the Eternal Father, and I know that we are able to approach Him. In His loving kindness He is mindful of us. We have access to Him, and He answers our prayers. I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world, and that this is His work, and that it will come out triumphant. I thank God that I have faith in the leaders of this people. I have faith and confidence in Joseph F. Smith, the man who stands at the head of this Church; I know him. to be inspired of God. The Lord is with him, and with the help of God I want to follow his leadership, observe his counsels, and do the will of the Father as it shall be expressed through him. God grant that the spirit,—of peace which the Gospel brings may pervade the homes of all the Latter-day Saints, that we may not be filled with fear at any time, except in regard to our own condition, and lest we may not be keeping the commandments of God. The only reason that we have for fear is that we are not living near enough to the Lord; but if we are doing His will we need not fear, for though all earth and hell should assail His work, yet will it prosper, because it has the stamp of divinity upon it. It is the work of God, not of man. This is my humble testimony, my brethren and sisters, and I rejoice in bearing it, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. ¶

My beloved brethren and sisters, I desire very much that you will assist me by your faith and prayers, that in what I shall say I may be led and guided by the Spirit of the Lord. When I look upon this congregation of friends and brethren, my heart rejoices, and I am led to a renewal of my faith, and to greater confidence in the principles of the Gospel and the outcome of the work of the Lord. As the days and the years advance, the evidences of faith in the religion of Jesus Christ are manifested by your coming together in these general Conferences. When the first Conference of the Church was held in the State of New York on the ninth day of June, 1830, I think there were only twenty-six members in the Church at that time. When the second Conference was held in September of that same year.there were thirty-five or thirty-six. Comparing that Conference with the one we are holding at the present time, there is certainly evidence that the Lord is in this work, not only in the increase of numbers, but in the living faith that is in the hearts of the Latter-day Saints today, prompting them to faithful labor and to united effort in pushing forward the work of the Lord. ¶

Reference was made yesterday to the life of our Savior, and to the generally accepted idea that yesterday was the anniversary of the day on which He rose from the tomb. However, whether Easter Sunday is the proper day or not, we have no objection to it. The great underlying fact is that He rose from the dead, after having suffered crucifixion for the sins of the world, and that He was the Son of God. After He arose He ministered unto His disciples; but we are told there was one doubting Thomas, who would not believe though his fellow disciples assured him they had seen the risen Redeemer. Afterward, when the Apostles were all together in a room, with the doors shut, Jesus stood in their midst, and said, "Peace be unto you." Turning to Thomas, He said unto him, "Reach hither thy finger and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust into my side: and be not faithless, but believing." ¶

We know today that in the ministry of our Lord and Savior there were but few who followed Him, as compared with the great mass of the people. His doctrine did not please the multitude. Very few received His word and believed that He was the Savior of the world, the promised Messiah, the expected King of the Jews. We note, too, that the persecution which came upon Him, His scourgings, His buffetings, and His final crucifixion, were not administered by the heathen, nor by those who had no promise in regard to the coming of the Messiah. It was His own race, the house of Judah, from which He sprang, that inflicted upon Him these cruel tortures, and finally put Him to death upon the cross. So it seems to have been all along the line of true Christian endeavor and work. Wherever there has been the Spirit of truth, wherever there has been an effort to lead humanity into a better way, and to mark out a righteous newness of life, there has been intense opposition exhibited against it by the many. The truth has had but few followers, but it has had many opposers. ¶

When the Prophet Joseph Smith was inspired by the Lord Almighty to establish this work in the earth, he gave to it the best efforts of his life. Every thought, every reflection of his soul, and the love of his whole heart, were enlisted in this great work. How great it was he possibly did not realize when the Lord first communicated to him; and even after the Church was organized and began to assume a condition of some importance in the world, even then, no doubt, he was not fully aware of the greatness of the structure he was instrumental in founding; but as revelation was given to him, precept upon precept, and line upon line, he became more and more filled with the Spirit of the Lord, and with enthusiasm in regard to the work; and as his enthusiasm grew, and as he became more and more endowed with power from on high, the efforts of those who opposed him were renewed and redoubled. We find that history repeated itself. The opposition did not come from the heathen, it did not come from nonbelievers in Christ, nor from unbelievers in ancient prophets and apostles. It came from men who said they believed in the mission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and in the mission of His apostles, and that they believed He suffered death for the sins of the world, and rose again on the third day, thus becoming the first fruits them that slept, He having the key of the resurrection, with power to unlock the tomb. So, as I say, we find history repeating itself. Opposition to this work has not come from those who did not believe in Christ, but it has come almost invariably from those who. have professed to be followers of Christ, just as the opposition to the Savior came from those who professed to believe in His Father. Singular as it may appear, it is an everlasting truth that there is always opposition to the principles of life and salvation, and it seems as if the more men profess to be enlightened, and the greater their professions of faith, the greater is their opposition to those who introduce living, saving truths. The fiercest opposition to the Savior came from those who professed to be the most devout in their observance of the law of Moses, and who adhered most strictly to the forms and rituals of the law. And so opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ to this day has come from those who appeared the most devout. ¶

DesDite all this, we are moving along in the even tenor of our way, and making some progress. Testimonies are increasing in the midst of the Saints, and as our young people grow up to manhood and womanhood they are receiving the testimony of the Gospel, and ar-i willing to go forth and devote their lives in proclaiming this Gospel. Our missionaries now have gone forth to the principal nations of Christendom, and are lifting up their voices fearlessly in proclamation of the truth. Yet we are not very popular that I know of in any land. Nevertheless, the Gospel is extending, Zion is growing, the Saints of God are spreading abroad, and todaj' our testimonies are brighter than ever before. We have deep down in our hearts a stronger conviction of the truth. We know that God lives, and that Jesus Christ is our Savior, who died for the sins of the world, that we might live. When Easter Sunday comes, or when any other Sunday comes, it is the Lord's day and we reverence His high and holy name. We come together and worship Him. Thus to us every Sunday, in a sense, is Easter Sunday, for we worship the Lord on that day, and not only on Sunday, but every day in the week. We do not put off the feeling of worship on the Monday, nor on any other day. If we feel as we should, we regard every day as the Lord's day, and we feel that we ought to serve Him and keep His commandments continuously.and not have a Sunday religion like a Sunday coat, to be laid aside as soon as the Sabath day is passed. The religion of the Latterday Saints is practical to a wonderful degree. Hence, we see that during the last four weeks, through the advice and counsel of the leaders of the Church, we have had four new Stakes of Zion organized. Every organization thus perfected will add strength to the work, and will give greater power to the brethren who preside and to the people over whom they preside. Moreover, it will add to the glory of God, because the Saints will live nearer to Him and keep His commandments better; for where the Saints are thoroughly admonished, and are in close touch with their leaders, the spirit of union, and the power to do good and to work righteousness, is greatly increased. So we rejoice whenever a new stake or a new ward is organized. And all this is in keeping with the progress of the work. We realize, my brethren and sisters, that we are not held in very high esteem by our friends of the different Christian faiths of the world; but this does not matter. We have our work to perform, and if we act well our part the Lord will see that His work will spread abroad in the earth, and that all the honest shall have the chance to hear the gospel. I rejoice today that we have leaders in our midst who know and understand the mind and will of the Lord, and who are willing to devote all their energies and their lives for the good of Israel. Under the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord they prepare for these great Conferences, and they give us the word of the Lord, that we may be encouraged from time to time by meeting together and hearing their voices in no uncerMcQUARRIE. 39 tain sound proclaim the mind and will of the Lord. They point the way in which we should walk, and they admonish us to follow them as they follow Christ. We have confidence in our leaders today, and the Lord has given us inspiration to be able to say that we know this is His work, and in this we are determined to devote our lives and the best talent He has given us, That we may be faithful and true in keeping the commandments of the Lord is my prayer in the name of Jesus. ¶